Rigby 28, Highland 20

Two of the state’s best teams collided for a conference deciding matchup in east Idaho. 

Tied at 7-7 with 42 seconds to play in the half, Highland's Logan George blocked a punt inside Rigby's 10-yard line. That led to a Kaleb DeMuzio four-yard touchdown run, giving the Rams a 14-7 at halftime.

But the Trojans outscored Highland 21-7 in the second half. Tiger Adolpho threw a screen pass to Taylor Freeman, who took the ball 70 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 with 6:35 to play in the third.

Highland's Raimon Barela muffed a punt inside his own 10-yard line with 2:48 to play in the third. Payton Vansteenkiste recovered for Rigby, and on the next play Zheik Falevai scored on a seven-yard run to put Rigby ahead 21-14. 

Highland tried to rally with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Easton Durham to Jack Whittmer with 1:09 to play, but Taylor Freeman recovered the onside kick for Rigby, sealing the District 5-6 championship for the Trojans. 

Rigby, undefeated on the year, will look to continue the streak against Madison Oct. 23 before heading to the state playoffs. Highland will play Idaho Falls. 

Rocky Mountain 31, Meridian 14

The Grizzlies punched their ticket to the Southern Idaho Conference title game with a win over conference rival Meridian. 

Rocky Mountain took a three-possession lead to open the first half, with Jordan Erickson finding the end zone twice with runs of three and one yards. On 16 rushes, Erickson recorded 107 yards and three touchdowns on the night, putting the game away with a 21-yard run with nine minutes left. Leham Maxwell led the offense on the ground, carrying the ball 23 times for 159 yards and the final touchdown of the game. Nawahine Xander led the defense with two interceptions on the night. 

Undefeated Rocky Mountain will take on Capital in the SIC championship game Oct. 23. 

Bishop Kelly 35, Vallivue 12

The Knights earned a valuable 4A SIC victory against first-place Vallivue. Bishop Kelly, who’s only conference loss on the year came against Emmett, drops the Falcon’s conference record to 4-2. 

Senior quarterback Keegan Croteau helped the Knights get to an early lead, throwing 13 passes for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The defense held Casey Cope and the Vallivue offense scoreless in three quarters. Cope finally found paydirt in the third, scoring twice, first on a 22-yard pass to Lincoln Marler and then on a 5-yard run. But Seth Knothe put the game away on a three-yard touchdown run for the final score of the game. Knothe finished as the team's leading rusher with 92 yards on 25 yards. 

Vallivue closes out the regular season against Emmett Oct. 23. Bishop Kelly will face Ridgevue at home. 

Pocatello 29, Preston 12

The Indians found themselves in an early hole, down 6-3 at the half. But a slow moving first half performance quickly turned into a Pocatello victory, with the Indians escaping what could have been their first conference loss. 

Zach Park finished with 273 yards and four touchdowns, overcoming a tough scoreless start to the game. Park’s second-half heroics were highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown pass to Casey Bruner. 

Pocatello will close out the regular season against Century Oct. 23 for a shot at a conference championship. Preston will play Snake River. 

South Fremont 27, Sugar-Salem 21

Not many teams have pulled one over on the Diggers in the last few years. Declo stands as the last Idaho team to defeat Sugar-Salem back in 2018. For a loss in 3A, you’d have to go back even further, a 2017 loss to Fruitland in the state championship.

The Diggers didn’t make it easy for their conference rival, rallying from a 21-7 deficit to bring the game within one possession. Ryan Harris picked off Cougar quarterback Kaimen Peebles, taking the stolen ball to the house to tie the game at 21 just before the half. 

But Peebles found Dallin Orme in the third quarter for the final touchdown of the game, as the Cougar defense held strong throughout the fourth. 

South Fremont now controls its own destiny with one regular season matchup left on the docket. The Cougars take on Teton Oct. 23, while Sugar-Salem plays Mountain Home. 

Homedale 31, Weiser 28

The Trojans scored 12 fourth-quarter points to rally for a 3A Snake River Conference victory, staving off an upset attempt by the Wolverines and preserving a perfect SRV record. 

The Wolverines entered the fourth quarter with a two-point lead. Running back Hayden Kincheloe sparked the comeback, punching it in at the goal line to bring the Trojans within three 28-25. For the final score of the game, Homedale dialed up the trickeration. Quarterback Jaxon Dines handed off to Kincheloe, who pitched a lateral to Eli Heck. Heck set his feet and fired 19 yards to Keagen Christensen for the game-winning touchdown. 

Kincheloe finished with a pair of touchdowns and 95 yards. Jaxon Dines threw for 145 yards and another two scores. 

The Trojans will face the undefeated Fruitland Grizzlies for a SRV showdown Oct. 23. Weiser will close out the year against Parma. 

Melba 47, Nampa Christian 12

The Mustangs won their first conference title since 2004 with a convincing win over the Trojans. 

The Melba offense rolled Friday night, racking up 461 yards on the ground, led by Zane Helm’s 198-yard performance. Trace Simpson tallied another 160 yards on the ground, scoring four times. Joey Bradshaw made his season debut to rounding success, taking 10 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Henry Clark finished with 11 completions for 159 yards and a touchdown. 

Melba will host Grangeville next Friday to wrap up the regular season. Nampa Christian will play Cole Valley Christian in the hope to snap a three-game losing streak. 

Raft River 58, Butte County 6

The Trojans established themselves as one the top teams in 1ADI, defeating last year’s runner up team in commanding fashion. 

Quarterback Bodee Spencer finished with 152 yards through the air and another 61 on the ground, scoring twice. Thaine Loughmiller made an impact on special teams, taking a kickoff 78 yards to the house. He also hauled in 60 yards of receiving. 

Raft River closes out the season with a true test, taking on Oakley Oct. 23. Butte County takes on Grace. 

Notus 52, Wilder 0

The Pirates locked up a 1ADI conference championship over the Wildcats. 

Carter Woodland carried 14 times for 178 yards, finding the end zone four times. He also made an impact on defense, recording five solo tackles. Mack Shimondle had two  catches for 31 yards and a touchdown and added another 28 yards rushing and 60 yards on a punt return. Elijah Martin had 13 carries for 60 yards for one and three two-point conversions. 

Watersprings 28, North Gem 20

The Warriors rallied late to nab a conference championship, defeating the Cowboys after falling behind 20-6. 

Watersprings scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jrew Plocher sparked the comeback, throwing for 105 yards on a perfect seven-for-seven night and four touchdowns. Plocher hit Peyton West, Braden Remer and Gavin Tomlinson for three late touchdowns, brining Watersprings back from the brink of defeat.